Ribbon mechanism for type-writing machines.



No. 729,815. PATENTED JUNE 2,1903.

F. X. WAGNER. RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MAGHINES. APPLICATION TILED FEB. 15. 1902. no MODEL. 4 sums-sum 2.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS- WITNESS ES No. 729,815. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1.903. r. X. WAGNER.

RIBBON MEGHANISMTOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

APPLIUATIOH FILED BBB. 15, 1902.

N0 MODEL 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ATTORNEYS Ya: Noam: PEYERS co, PHOTO-LITNQ. wasnmmon, o c.

No. 729,815. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903.

P. x. WAGNER.

RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED 1'23. 15, 1902.

no 110mm. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES: I iNVENTOR ATTORNEYS no: norims PETERS co. Puorou'ma, wAsumarcn. u. c.

tinir'rsn Spares,

Patented June 2, 1903.

ATENT FFICE.

FRANZ X. \VAGNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO NDERwooD TYPEWRITER COMPANY,

N. Y., A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY.

on NEW YORK,

RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,815, dated June 2, 1903.

Original application filed June 3. 1901, Serial No. 62.828. Divided and this application filed February 15, 1902. Serial 110.94.170. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANZ X. WAGNER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the borough of Manhattau, city, county, and

State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Ribbon Mechanism for TypeWriting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to type-writing inachines, and has for its object to provide an improved ribbon operating and reversing mechanism which will be operated in conjunction with the mechanism which shifts the platen for upper or lower case printing.

The invention will be fully described here inafter, and the features of novelty pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in Which x Figure-1 is a longitudinal sectional eleva tion of a type-writing machine embodying my invention with parts omitted, so as to better disclose the elements constituting my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the ribbon-reversing mechanism with a portion of the frame shown in section. Fig. 3 is a crosssectional elevation of the machine. Fig. 4. is a detail rear elevation of one of the ribbonspools and the adjacent parts of the machine. Fig. 5 is a detail outside view, partly insection, of a portion of the mechanism operated by the shift-key; and Fig. 6 is a view of the same parts looking from the other side.

1 designates the frame of themachine, and 2 the carriage, with the platen 3.

Upon the spindle 4, which supports the spring-drum 5, is mo'untedthe ratchet-wheel 6, with which cooperates a pawl 7, normally maintained in engagement with the ratchet- 16, grooved, as indicated at 17, to receive the fingers 18, which are secured to a fixed por-- tion of the machine. By this construction the gear-wheel 14 will at all times be maintained in mesh with its cooperatingbevelgear 13, notwithstanding any longitudinal movement of the shaft 15. Projecting from the shaft 15 is an arm 19, from which extends a pin 20, adapted to project into a slotted arm These clutch-sections are each adapted to cooperate with other clutch-sections 25 26. These clutch-sections 25 26 are secured upon shafts 27, extending in line with each other through suitable hearings in the framing of the machine, and the outer ends 28 of the shafts form supports for the ribbon-spools 29. An extension 30, which projects transversely of each shaft, is secured to rotate therewith. Each of these angular extensions 30 has pivoted thereto at 31 a latch 32, adapted to project through the corresponding ribbon-spool 29 to lock the same in place and to at the same time provide a handle by means of which the shaft can be rotated. Each of these latches 32 is spring-pressed andnormally kept in locking engagement with the ribbon-spool, as indicated in Fig. 4'. When it is desired to remove a spool from its shaft, it is merely necessary to press the latch 32 inward-that is, toward the shaft, thereby releasing the spool from the locking-shoulder 33 on the latch, so that the spool. may be slipped oif the outer end of its shaftfThe position of the latch 32 at one side of the center of the ribbonspool enables the said latch to be used as a crank for the purpose of turning the ribbonspool and the shaft to which it is locked.

The shaft 15 is straddled by two arms 34,

adapted to bear against the headed portions which carry or form the clutch-sections 23 24.

These arms 34 are each rigidly connected with a longitudinally-movable rod 35, which isunder the tension of a spring 36, tending to force it outward, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. The free end of each rod 35 is connected by a pin-and-slot connection 37 with an angular lever 38. Each angular lever is pivoted at 39 to a fixed portion of the ma chine. Each of the arms 34 is provided with an upwardly-extending bifurcated portion 40, which is adapted to receive a latch-lever 41, pivoted to a fixed portion of the machine, as indicated at 42. The lower face of each of theselatch-levers is provided with a nose 43, which is adapted to engage behind the bifurcated extension 40 to lock the spring-pressed rod 35 against the action of this spring. This latch-lever 41 extends into the path of an arm 44, which is carried by a vibratory frame 45, pivoted at 46 to a fixed portion of the machine. The opposite end of this vibratory frame is bifurcated, as indicated at 47, for the reception of the ribbon in its movement from one spool to the other.

The free end of each of the angular levers 38 extends into the-path of a movable dog or pawl 48, which is pivoted to a vertically-movable slide 49. The front side of this pawl 48 is provided with: a cam face 50, which is adapted to contact with a fixed abutment 51 and is maintained in engagement with said abutment by means of a spring 52. It will be observed that the cam-face on the pawl will permit the latter to extend outwardly beneath the free end of the angular lever 38 when the vertically-movable bar 49 is in its lowermost position and will permit the pawl to be withdrawn from a position where it will engage the angular lever as the bar 49 is elevated. The arrangement of the pawl is such that the free end of either of the angular levers 38 will be engaged by the pawl 48 when the free end of the angular lever is in the lowermost position, as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. When, however, either of the levers is in the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 4, the pawl will obviously have no action on the angular lever upon the vertical movement of the bars 49. This result would be obtained even if the pawl 48 were simply a projection rigidly secured to the bar 49. The purpose of employing a pawl which is allowed to swing out of the path ofthe angular lever 38 during the upward movement of the bar 49 is to permit the lever 38 to be released and thrown into its lowermost position by the action of the spring 36 in case the bar 49 should be in its upper position at the time the latch-lever 41 is operated. The bars 49, as before stated, are mounted to move vertically in the framing of the machine. The

' upper end of each of the bars 49. is adapted end secured to a bar 55, which is under the influence of a spring, the tension of which may be adjusted by the clutch-sections 56. Levers 57, which are fulcrumed on the bar 55, have suitable connections to shift keys of any appropriate type, and the rear ends of these levers are provided with arms 58, ad apted to bear against cam-faces 59 of vibratory levers 60, pivoted to the frame at 61. It will be understood that a lever 60 and a corresponding shift-key lever 57 are provided at each side of themachine adjacent to the vertically-movable slides 49. The upper end of each of the levers (50 is bifurcated, as indicated at 62, for the reception of a stud 63, carried by the slide 49. When the parts are in the position indicated in Fig. 6, the lever 60 will cooperate with the stud 63, and the slide 49, which carries it, will prevent undue vibration of the partswhich support the platen 3. \Vhen either of the shift keys is depressed, the rear end of the corresponding shift-key lever 57 will be elevated, thereby moving the corresponding lever 60 around its pivot in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 6. This movement of the parts will bring the open mouth of the bifurcated portion of the lever 60 to a position where the stud 63 is free to be moved upwardly in a vertical direction. As soon as the lever 60 has reached the limit of its upward movement the portion 64 of the lever will be moved beneath the stud 63 to prevent unduevibration of the lever 60 and the platen carried thereby when the platen is in this elevated position. As soon as the key is released to permit the platen to assume the lowermost position the angular portion 58 of the lever 57 will, by its cooperation with the cam-face 59, permit the stud 63 to assume the position indicated in Fig. 6. Thus I provide against undue vibration of the platen while it is being shifted either to the elevated or to the lowered position for the purpose of Writing upper or lower case characters, so that a blurring of the writing will not take place at those times. During the upward movement of the levers 57 just described each of them will be brought into contact with a pin 65, which is carried by screws 66 may be employed to regulate the movement of the track 53 in both directions. A coiled spring 67 may be adjustabl l secured to the framing of the machine, as indicated at 68, and the opposite end of said spring may be connected with a projection 69 extending understood that the shift-keys will, through the pawls 48, operate the angular levers 38,-

and thereby compress the springs 36. During the compression of these springs the slides or bifurcated arms 40 will be moved to positions where the correspondinggravitylatch levers 41 will drop to the lowermost position, thereby bringing the nose 43 on each then the free end of said angular lever will of these levers to the outside of the slide to lock the latter, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and thus to maintain the springs 36 under tension. When the springs are under tension, the free ends of the angular levers 38 are in the position indicated in Fig. 4. In this position each of the angular levers will remain undisturbed and out of the path of the pawl 48in its move- ,ment with the slide 49.

If, however, either of the angular levers assumes the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, (which itassumes when its spring 36 is free from tension,)

be in a position to be engaged by the pawl 48, as indicated in Fig. 5. The next upward movement of the slide 49 will elevate the free end of the angular lever, thereby compressing the spring 36 and looking it in compressed condition, as before described.

It has been hereinbefore pointed out that the movement of the slides 40 eifects a longitudinal movement of the shaft 15 to bring about an engagement of the cooperating clutch-members'at one side of the machine and a disengagement of the corresponding clutch-sections atthe other side of the machine. Thus, for instance, a longitudinal movementof the shaft 15 in the direction of the arrow so in Fig.2 will cause the clutchsection 23 to bedisengaged from the clutch section 25,and the clutch-section 24 will engage the clutch-section 26, so that further rotary motion transmitted to the shaft-l5 will be communicated to the ribbon-spool 29 at the left-hand side of the machine. The automatic reversal of the ribbon when an end thereof is approached will be brought about in the following manner: A suitable pin or abutment, which is carried by the ribbon near each end thereof, will contact with the bifurcated portion 47, through which the ribbon passes. The contact between the pin of the ribbon and the bifurcated portion 47 of the frame 45 will cause said frame to be shifted around its pivot 46, thus elevating the arm 44, which in turn will raise the corre sponding gravity ratchet-lever 41 to free the slide 34, and thus move the clutch-sections to the position shown in Fig. 2. i When the other end of the ribbon is approached, asimilar action will take place at the other side of the machine, and the shaft 15 willbe moved in the opposite direction to free the clutchsections 24 and 26am]. to engage the clutchsections 23 and 25. Thus the right-hand spool will be placed in operative connection with the ribbon-feed mechanism to rotate the right-hand ribbon-spool. It will be understood that any movement transmitted to either of the shift-keys willoperate the shiftkey levers 57 in the manner described to set the corresponding spring 36 of the automatic ribbon-reversing device and that after said spring is placed under tension the mechanism is free from further cooperation with the pawl48, which sets it until it has again been released by the frame 45 in the manner de-.

scribed. It is obvious that a great number of operations by both shift-keys will take place for every movement of the mechanism which brings about the automatic reversal of the ribbon, so that the springs 36 may be relied upon to be always under tension when it becomes necessary for them to bring about the longitudinal movement of the shaft 15 in the manner described.

I desire it to be understood have described with great detail a specific embodiment of my invention I do not restrict myself to this specific construction, but the scope of my invention is to be determined by the appended claims.

The mechanism described and shown in this application is also disclosed, but not claimed, in another application for Letters Patent filed by me on June 3, 1901, Serial No. 62,828, and my present application is to be considered a division of the above-named prior application. 1

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a type-writing machine, the combination of an automatic ribbon-reversing mechanism which comprises two independentlymovable operating members each adapted to causethe ribbon to travel in one direction,,

springs for actuating said members, aseparate latch device for each .of said operating members, and means controlled by a movable part of the type-writing machine, for setting the said operating members. 2. In a type-writing machine, the combination of automatic ribbon-reversing mechanism, and means controlled by the shift-key for setting said reversing mechanism. 3. In a type-writing machine, the combina tion of an automatic ribbon-reversing mechanism comprising two independently-movable members forcausingthe ribbon to travel in one direction or the other, springs for throwumr while I.

ing said operating members, 1 independent latches for holding each of said members against the tension of its spring, and means for releasing the operating members from their latches.

4. In a type-writing machine, the combinationxof a ribbon, spring-pressed automatic ribbon-reversing mechanism, means controlled by the platen shift mechanism for setting said reversing mechanism, locking means for retaining the reversing mechanism in the set position, and means controlled by the ribbon for releasing said locking means.

5. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a ribbon, spring-pressed automatic ribbon-reversing mechanism, means controlled by the shift-key for setting said reversing mechanism, locking-latches for retaining the reversing mechanism in the set position and against its spring tension, and means operatively connected to the ribbon for releasing one of said locking-latches when the end of the ribbon is approached.

G. In a type-writing machine, the combination of an automatic ribbon-reversing mechanism comprising two independently-movable operating members for causing the ribbon to travel in one direction or the other, springs for throwing said operating members, an independentlatch for each operating member, means operated by a movable part of the machine for setting the operating members, and means for releasing the operating members from their latches.

7. In a type-writing machine, the combination of an automatic ribbon-reversing mechanism comprising operating members for causing the ribbon to travel in one direction or the other, springs for throwing said operating members, latches for holding said members, means for releasing said members from the latches, levers connected with the operating members, a platen-shift mechanism, pawls movably carried by said platen-shift mechanism and adapted to engage the said levers, and means for causing said pawls to swing out of the path of the said levers at the time the operating members are held in the set position by their latches.

8. In a type-writing machine, the combination of an automatic ribbon-reversing mechanism comprising operating members for causing the ribbon to travel in one direction or the other, springs for throwing said operating members, latches for holding the operating members in their set position, means, controlled by the ribbon, for releasing the latches, a platen-shift mechanism, pawls pivoted to said mechanism, and provided with hooks, means having a tendency to throw said pawls in one direction, stationary guides cooperating with said pawls to normally cause them to swing on their pivots when the platenshift mechanism is operated, and levers connected with the said operating members and arranged to be engaged by the hooks of said pawls to set the operating members, the pawls being free to swing out of the path of said levers after the operating members have been set.

9. Ribbon-reversing mechanism for typewriting machines comprising a rotary mechanism, a longitudinally-movable shaft which is at all times in operative connection with the said rotary mechanism, two clutch-sec- .tions carried by said shaft, a clutch-section which is operatively connected to each ribbon-spool and which cooperates with one of the clutches on the shaft, spring-pressed means for moving said shaft longitudinally, latches for retaining said spring pressed means against its spring tension, and means for releasing one of said latches when an end of the ribbon is approached.

10. Ribbon-reversing mechanism for typewriting machines comprising a rotary mechanism, a longitudinally-movable shaft which is at all times in operative connection with the said rotary mechanism, two clutch-sections carried by said shaft, a clutch-section which is operatively connected to each ribbon-spool and which cooperates with one of the clutches on the shaft, spring-pressed means for moving said shaft longitudinally, latches for retaining said spring pressed means against its spring tension, means operated by one of the keys of the keyboard for placing the spring-pressed means under tension, and means for releasing one of said latches when an end of the ribbon is approached.

11. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen, means for shifting said platen laterally for upper and lower case printing, and automatic ribbon reversing mechanism, which is operatively connected to said platen-shifting means to set the former when the shifting means are operated.

12. In a type-Writing machine, the combination of a ribbon, a platen, means for shifting said platen laterally for upper and lower case printing, spring-pressed automatic ribbon-reversing mechanism, which is operatively connected to said platen-shifting means to set the former against its spring tension when the shifting means are operated, and means, controlled by the ribbon, for releasing the reversing mechanism from its spring tension.

13. In a type-writing machine, the combination of an automatic ribbon reversing mechanism, means for shifting the platen for upper and lower case printing, a device for setting said ribbon-reversing mechanism, a member loosely carried by the platen-shifting means and adapted to engage said setting device, mechanism for locking the platenshi'fting means in one position, and means for moving said loose member out of the path of the setting device when the platen-shifting means approaches the said position.

14. In a type-writing machine, the combination of automatic ribbon-reversing mechanism, means for shifting the platen for upper and lower case printing, a device for setting said ribbon-reversing mechanism,a member mounted to move with the platen when the latter is shifted and arranged to engage and operate the said setting device, said mem- ICO her being also capable of an additional movement to bring it out of the path of the setting device, mechanism for locking the plat-enshifting means in one position, and means for moving said member out of the path of the setting device when the platen-shifting means approaches the said position.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ X. WAGNER.

Witnesses:

EUGENE EBLE, JOHN LOTKA. 

